As you might know, dental services in Singapore are not inexpensive especially when it comes to more complex treatments like braces, dental implants and oral surgical procedures. If you check the national average dental implant cost, for example, you will find that a single tooth replacement may cost you over $3000. Bone grafting and gum surgery can also be a bit steep.
But is it possible to obtain oral health care services without breaking the bank? Can you use Medisave for dental treatments? The short answer is yes, but there are some circumstances to pay attention to.
Here, you will learn all you need to know about Medisave, including what it is, which dental services it covers and how to use it. Just take a few minutes and read the text below.
What is Medisave and Can You Use It for Dental Treatments?
Medisave is a national medical savings scheme/ account that is managed by the CPF (Central Provident Fund) Board. The purpose of this account is to help CPF members to save for future medical expenses.
You can use your CPF Medisave account to pay for some medical treatments, outpatient expenses as well as certain dental services. But please note that it only covers specific procedures that are done due to medical reasons.
Your Medisave account is typically top-up every month by you or your employer depending on whether you are a self-employed or salaried employee. In other words, if you work for someone else, a portion of your monthly earnings will be automatically set aside for your saving plan. If have your own business, then you will need to manage it yourself.
Medisave for Dental Services: Who Is eligible for it?
You are allowed to use Medisave for dental services as long as you are a Singapore citizen or permanent resident and have a sufficient balance in your account. In case, your Medisave balance is not enough to cover the dental bill, then you can use an account of your close (immediate) family members such as parents, children, husband/ wife.
One aspect of Medisave accounts you need to be aware of is that they have spending limits. You will normally be able to withdraw just the partial cost of your treatment.
No matter how much money you have in your Medisave account, you still cannot use all of it to pay for your dental bill. There are Medisave withdrawal limits that apply to every medical procedure, and the amount you can use varies by the type of treatment you receive and your age.
What Dental Services are Covered by Medisave?
You can use your CPF savings account for dental surgical procedures, particularly for day surgeries. However, you need to make sure that you go to Medisave accredited dental clinic (it should be authorized by the Ministry of Health, Singapore).
Here is a list of the Medisave claimable dental treatments:
- Wisdom tooth surgery
- Dental implants placement
- Bone grafting
- Gum grafting and gum surgery
- Sinus lift
- Crown lengthening surgery
- Surgical removal of residual tooth roots
Medisave accounts can be very helpful since they cover some of the most expensive surgical procedures. If you check the price list at a few dental clinics in Singapore, you will probably find out that services like dental implants insertion and sinus lifts can be quite expensive. By using Medisave you can significantly reduce the total cost of your dental bill.
How Much Can I Claim From my Medisave Account for my Dental Treatments?
You can claim anywhere from $300 to $7000 from your Medsave account for dental treatments. The amount of coverage that will be provided mainly depends on the type of procedure and how complex it is.
Here is a list of Medisave climbable dental treatments, their average cost in Singapore and how much you can claim for them.
- Wisdom tooth removal. The actual cost of this procedure in Singapore can range between $700 and $1700 per single tooth, depending on its complexity. You can get up to $900 coverage from your Medisave account for the surgical removal of one wisdom tooth.
- Dental implants placement. Placement of a single dental implant may cost you anywhere from $3000 to $6000. With Medisave, you will be able to reduce your expenses by up to $1000.
- Bone grafting. The price of the procedure can range from $750 to $2500. The Medisave claimable amount may vary between $1500 and $2500.
- Gum surgery. The average cost of this procedure in Singapore is $1000 to $2000. By using Medisave, you might be able to reduce surgical expenses by up to $1000.
- Sinus lifts. The price of these surgical procedures varies from $1200 to $3200. You may be able to receive up to $900 from your Medisave account.
- Crown lengthening surgery. The prices for such treatment start from $700 and can reach up to $1000. However, crown lengthening is a Medisave claimable dental procedure and you might be able to lower your bill payment by up to $400.
Please note that the above-mentioned prices are just indicative. They may fluctuate significantly depending on the complexity of the dental treatment.
What Dental Services are NOT Covered by Medisave?
All dental services that don’t entail surgery are not covered by Medisave. This means that you cannot use your Medisave account savings for certain dental treatments such as:
- braces and aligners treatments
- dental crowns, bridges and dentures
- scaling and polishing
- root canal treatment which doesn’t involve surgery.
You also cannot use Medisave for simple tooth extractions as well as for cosmetic dental procedures such as dental veneers.
How to claim Medisave?
Here are the steps you need to take when claiming dental treatment through Medisave.
- First of all, you need to make sure you go to a dental clinic that is accredited by the Ministry of Health, Singapore. Then you should inform the staff that you would like to make a Medisave claim for your treatment and check with them if that can be approved.
- After that, you should sign the Medical Claims Authorisation Form (MCAF) which will be provided by the staff of the medical institution. If you are going to use the fund of any of your immediate family members then the required Medisave Authorisation Form should be filled and signed by the Medisave Account holder.
- After everything has been done and your Medisave claim has been approved you should receive a Medisave Claims Statement. This document will provide you with all the information for your claim including the name of the accredited dental clinic, the procedure you claimed for as well as the amount withdrawn from your account. If you use the Medisave account of an immediate family member then he or she will receive this Medisave claims statement.
FAQs About Medisave Claims For Dental Services
If you have any more questions that aren't answered, feel free to give us a call or visit our Geylang and Bedok dental clinic and speak with someone in person.